Two injured in shooting at Spanish Trace Apartments; suspect found dead

Officials and SWAT team members gather at Spanish Trace Apartments while looking for a shooting suspect on Wednesday in Gainesville.

Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun

By Cindy Swirko and Sean Stewart-MunizThe Gainesville Sun

Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 3:53 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 7:11 p.m.

An hourslong wait that began with two people shot at Spanish Trace Apartments in southwest Gainesville on Wednesday afternoon ended when police entered an apartment and found the suspected shooter dead with a gun beside him, according to the Gainesville Police Department.

Police identified the suspect as Lorenzo Fitzpatrick, 48. Police believe he shot himself, but added that the investigation is continuing.

Police said an ongoing dispute led to the shooting. Some residents of other apartments were hustled out of the area when the gunfire occurred while others bunkered inside their apartments.

"I heard the first shot and saw Des run away with her kids. I saw her boyfriend come from the corner and the cops escort them both out," said resident Codey Carter, a Santa Fe College student. "I had come outside to go to school and when I locked the door, I heard the first shot. I freaked out and turned around. That's when I saw Des and her children running out and the lady upstairs screaming, ‘Where are you going Des? What's wrong?' and that's when I heard the second shot."

Gainesville police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said police entered the apartment where the shooting occurred and found Fitzpatrick dead on the floor with a gunshot wound. A gun was found next to his body, Tobias said, leading police to believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

"We still have a lot of investigating to do," Tobias said.

The shooting was reported at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. Officer Sandy Teasley was sent to Spanish Trace to investigate an ongoing disturbance that appeared to be related to noise complaints, police said.

While Teasley was interviewing people on the second floor, he heard gunshots from Apartment 11 on the first floor. Teasley ran to the first floor and saw Reyes and Cheeves running from the apartment with gunshot wounds. Tobias said Teasley provided armed cover for them to get out of the immediate area.

Soon thereafter Teasley heard another gunshot.

Additional officers arrived on the scene and worked to get other residents to safety.

The door to Apartment 11 was open the whole time, Carter said.

But police did not go inside at that point. Instead, SWAT team members from GPD and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office were assembled.

The Sheriff's Office also brought a piece of heavy equipment that could push in a door while shielding officers. The U.S. Marshal's Service Regional Fugitive Task Force also provided assistance at the scene.

Police had no contact with Fitzpatrick while the staging was occurring and were not certain he was in the apartment.

With no one in apparent danger, police were able to move at their own pace. At 6:50 p.m., officers went into the apartment and found Fitzpatrick. Police believe he shot himself shortly after shooting Reyes and Cheeves.

Police Chief Tony Jones said at the scene that a primary goal of police was to ensure the safety of others at the complex.

"Anytime somebody is injured or shot, or there is a threat, we try to avoid even more people getting injured. That's why you see all the resources here from the police department and the sheriff's department," Jones said. "Then we could slow it down and take our time to identify and locate the person."

A Gainesville Regional Transit System bus was brought into the complex to provide a comfortable spot for some of the residents. Some of those evacuated, and residents who were not home at the time and kept out by police, gathered at the nearby Chuy's Restaurant. Inaccurate rumors were passed among them.

Just after 6 p.m., police addressed one of the rumors in an alert on Facebook that "there have been rumors that there was a second shooting at a local pawn shop nearby, but that was just the evacuation point for the initial victims. There was only one incident scene."

Multiple police units were at the Spanish Trace complex, including the GPD SWAT team, which had been practicing a drill at Westwood Middle School on Northwest 34th Street when the shooting call came in.

Residents of nearby apartment complexes were directed by officers to evacuate or remain in their apartments. "STAY INDOORS," GPD urged residents through its Facebook page.

Joshua Segarra, who lives in Spanish Trace in a neighboring apartment, said he was returning from Winn-Dixie when he came upon a barricade at the complex.

"The cops told me I needed to find something else to do for awhile until they figure it out," he said.

Segarra said he saw one of his neighbors in Apartment 11 being taken away in an ambulance.

Witness Kim Walsh said she saw a man with blood on his abdomen being escorted by police through a parking lot outside the Oaks Pawn shop on Archer Road. Tobias emphasized that no shooting occurred at the plaza, just that the victim was taken through that area as a safety precaution.

At 3:40 p.m., GPD posted an alert on its Facebook page about an "active shooter situation" on the north side of the apartment complex.

The University of Florida also sent out an alert to faculty, staff and students to "shelter in place," that GPD had reported a shooting, said UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes. A lot of student apartments are in the area, which is across Southwest 34th Street from the west side of UF's main campus.

<p>An hourslong wait that began with two people shot at Spanish Trace Apartments in southwest Gainesville on Wednesday afternoon ended when police entered an apartment and found the suspected shooter dead with a gun beside him, according to the Gainesville Police Department.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Police identified the suspect as Lorenzo Fitzpatrick, 48. Police believe he shot himself, but added that the investigation is continuing.</p><p>Meanwhile, Desiree A. Reyes, 21, and Bruce Cheeves, 24, suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Reyes was shot in the arm and Cheeves in the chest, police said.</p><p>Police said an ongoing dispute led to the shooting. Some residents of other apartments were hustled out of the area when the gunfire occurred while others bunkered inside their apartments.</p><p>"I heard the first shot and saw Des run away with her kids. I saw her boyfriend come from the corner and the cops escort them both out," said resident Codey Carter, a Santa Fe College student. "I had come outside to go to school and when I locked the door, I heard the first shot. I freaked out and turned around. That's when I saw Des and her children running out and the lady upstairs screaming, 'Where are you going Des? What's wrong?' and that's when I heard the second shot."</p><p>Gainesville police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said police entered the apartment where the shooting occurred and found Fitzpatrick dead on the floor with a gunshot wound. A gun was found next to his body, Tobias said, leading police to believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.</p><p>"We still have a lot of investigating to do," Tobias said.</p><p>The shooting was reported at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. Officer Sandy Teasley was sent to Spanish Trace to investigate an ongoing disturbance that appeared to be related to noise complaints, police said.</p><p>While Teasley was interviewing people on the second floor, he heard gunshots from Apartment 11 on the first floor. Teasley ran to the first floor and saw Reyes and Cheeves running from the apartment with gunshot wounds. Tobias said Teasley provided armed cover for them to get out of the immediate area.</p><p>Soon thereafter Teasley heard another gunshot.</p><p>Additional officers arrived on the scene and worked to get other residents to safety.</p><p>The door to Apartment 11 was open the whole time, Carter said.</p><p>But police did not go inside at that point. Instead, SWAT team members from GPD and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office were assembled.</p><p>The Sheriff's Office also brought a piece of heavy equipment that could push in a door while shielding officers. The U.S. Marshal's Service Regional Fugitive Task Force also provided assistance at the scene.</p><p>Police had no contact with Fitzpatrick while the staging was occurring and were not certain he was in the apartment.</p><p>With no one in apparent danger, police were able to move at their own pace. At 6:50 p.m., officers went into the apartment and found Fitzpatrick. Police believe he shot himself shortly after shooting Reyes and Cheeves.</p><p>Police Chief Tony Jones said at the scene that a primary goal of police was to ensure the safety of others at the complex.</p><p>"Anytime somebody is injured or shot, or there is a threat, we try to avoid even more people getting injured. That's why you see all the resources here from the police department and the sheriff's department," Jones said. "Then we could slow it down and take our time to identify and locate the person."</p><p>A Gainesville Regional Transit System bus was brought into the complex to provide a comfortable spot for some of the residents. Some of those evacuated, and residents who were not home at the time and kept out by police, gathered at the nearby Chuy's Restaurant. Inaccurate rumors were passed among them.</p><p>Just after 6 p.m., police addressed one of the rumors in an alert on Facebook that "there have been rumors that there was a second shooting at a local pawn shop nearby, but that was just the evacuation point for the initial victims. There was only one incident scene."</p><p>Multiple police units were at the Spanish Trace complex, including the GPD SWAT team, which had been practicing a drill at Westwood Middle School on Northwest 34th Street when the shooting call came in.</p><p>Residents of nearby apartment complexes were directed by officers to evacuate or remain in their apartments. "STAY INDOORS," GPD urged residents through its Facebook page.</p><p>Joshua Segarra, who lives in Spanish Trace in a neighboring apartment, said he was returning from Winn-Dixie when he came upon a barricade at the complex.</p><p>"The cops told me I needed to find something else to do for awhile until they figure it out," he said.</p><p>Segarra said he saw one of his neighbors in Apartment 11 being taken away in an ambulance.</p><p>Witness Kim Walsh said she saw a man with blood on his abdomen being escorted by police through a parking lot outside the Oaks Pawn shop on Archer Road. Tobias emphasized that no shooting occurred at the plaza, just that the victim was taken through that area as a safety precaution.</p><p>Officers blocked Windmeadows Boulevard and traffic flowed slowly on Southwest 34th Street and Archer Road. Butler Plaza remained opened.</p><p>At 3:40 p.m., GPD posted an alert on its Facebook page about an "active shooter situation" on the north side of the apartment complex.</p><p>The University of Florida also sent out an alert to faculty, staff and students to "shelter in place," that GPD had reported a shooting, said UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes. A lot of student apartments are in the area, which is across Southwest 34th Street from the west side of UF's main campus.</p>